July 17th, 2004One of the newest Cougars, Dan Putnam won the game with a tenth inning three run bomb to right center to give the Cougars a four to one win agains the West Michigan Whitecaps.

The starting pitching was the real story for the Cougars. Brad Knox had a great game. He went eight great innings, giving up four hits and one unearned run. He was aided by two inning ending double plays in the first three innings.

Chris Steinborn started for the Caps and was equally as good. He went into the eighth inning, giving up nine hits but only one run. The one run was a sacrifice fly. He had to pitch out of ledoff trouble in three of the innings. In the second inning Vasili Spanos walked to led things off. Steinborn then struck out both Trevor Brown and Dustin Majewski. Kory Wayment then singled to right to get Spanos to third. Eddie Kim would ground out to first to end the inning.

It would happen again in the fourth inning, this time Putnam led off with a double down the right field line. Spanos then flew out to center. Brown singled to right, Putnam would only get to third. Then Majewski would hit into a inning ending double play.

The Cougars put up the first run of the game in the fifth inning. Wayment led off with a double down the left field line. Kim would move him to third with a ground out to second. David Harriman followed with a fly to center, on the play Wayment would tag up and score.

An error in the seventh would lead to the Caps only run. Vince Blue led off with a grounder to second. Brian Ingram bobbled the ball for one error, then threw the ball into the dugout for the second error. Blue ended up on second. Juan Francia tried to bunt him over, even with two strikes but would fail and strike out for the first out. On eout later Kody Kirkland doubled down the left field line to score Blue.

The Caps had one more chance, this time against Justin Crowder. With one out in the ninth Juan Francia singled to short. After that the Cougars brought in J.R. Pickens. On strike three to Kelly Hunt, Francia would steal second. Kirland then singled through the middle to get Francia to third. Luis Sabino grounded out to first to end the threat.

The eighth and ninth innings the Cougars would have their chances to win the game with a run. In the eighth, Brian Ingram led off by beating a grounder to second out.. Luis Perez then put down a bunt to move him to second. Putnam would strike out on four pitches. The Caps then brought in Anthony Tomey to replace Steinborn. Spanos would walk on four pitches, to put runners on first and second with two outs. Brown popped to third to end the inning. In the ninth the Cougars almost got a run home. With one out, Wayment walked. Kim then singled to center. Nick Rogers pitch ran for Kim. A wild pitch would move both runners along. Harriman popped one to right, Wayment tried to tag up and score from third but would end up being toast at the plate to end the inning.

The tenth was a good inning for Cougar fans. Ingram led off by reaching on an error by Francia, the throw was wide. Perez then singled to right. Putnam put a charge into one and hit a speaker on top of a light tower in right center for a three run bomb. After that Spanos would walk. The Caps then brough in a new pitcher. Matt Righter then got Brown, Majewski and Wayment to ground out, which would end the inning.

Luis Perez had three hits on the day plus a great sacrifice bunt. Putnam had two hits. Spanos was on base four out of the five times he came to the plate, he had three walks, just no runs scored. Wayment had three hits.